Method for assembling a scrubber

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method of assembling a scrubber which includes a motor, a shaft rotatably coupled to and extending through the motor, a shaft pin detachably connected to the shaft, and a disk coupled to the shaft and having a notch located relative to the shaft pin at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft when properly assembled. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a tool body configured to partially receive the scrubber, the tool body including a first recess and a protrusion; and placing the tool body adjacent the scrubber to at least partially receive the shaft pin into the first recess of the tool body and to at least partially insert the protrusion of the tool body into the notch of the disk. The first recess and the protrusion are arranged at the predetermined angle to position the notch of the disk and the shaft pin of the scrubber for proper assembly at the predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/074,953, filed Feb. 11, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,607, whichclaims priority from R.O.C. Patent Application No. 090204102, filed Mar.19, 2001, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an auxiliary tool for assembling a scrubber; inparticular, the invention relates to an auxiliary tool that can readilyassemble the scrubber with ease and precision.

In semiconductor processing, a wafer surface is usually required to becleaned. By means of brush cleaning, spray cleaning, and ultrasoniccleaning, undesired substance remaining on the wafer surface can beeliminated.

Cleaning equipment, such as a scrubber, is shown in FIG. 1 a and FIG. 1b. A wafer 1 is placed on wafer support pins 4 of a spin chuck 3 by arobot 2. Each wafer support pin 4 is provided with a stepped portion, asshown in FIG. 1 a, to support the wafer 1. The distance between thewafer support pins 4 is large enough for the robot 2 to access. The spinchuck 3 is connected to a shaft 5. A shaft pin 6, as shown in FIG. 1 b,is disposed at the shaft 5 and used to position the spin chuck 3 and theshaft 5.

Referring to FIG. 1 b, the shaft 5 is disposed inside a motor 7 in arotatable manner.

The motor 7 rotates the spin chuck 3. The other end of the shaft 5 isconnected with a disk 8 by means of a fixing or mounting part 10. Thedisk 8 is provided with a notch 9. A cylinder 11, disposed onunillustrated equipment, abuts the notch 9 to stop the disk 8.

FIG. 2 a shows a relationship between the disk 8 and sensors disposed onthe surrounding equipment. A sensor 13 is disposed at the edge of thedisk 8. A sensor 12, corresponding to the sensor 13, is disposed at thesurrounding equipment. The rotation number of the disk 8 is detected bythe sensors 12, 13 to determine whether the cleaning process isfinished. FIG. 2 b is a top view of the spin chuck 3. The wafer 1, shownwith a dotted line, is placed on the wafer support pins 4. FIG. 2 b alsoshows a relationship between the robot 2 and the wafer support pins 4when the robot 2 enters the spin chuck 3.

Part of the scrubber is described as above. Since the motor 7 rotates athigh speed over a long period, it is relatively easily damaged and mustbe replaced. However, replacement of the motor is time-consuming. Inaddition, when the disk 8 is mounted to the shaft 5 during thereplacement of the motor 7, the distance and the angle between the disk8 and the shaft 5 is extremely limited.

If the distance between disk 8 and the shaft 5 is not precise, the disk8 can interfere with the sensor 12 of the surrounding equipment, or themotor 7 cannot be assembled into the scrubber. If the angle between disk8 and the shaft 5 is not precise, the position at which the robot 2enters the spin chuck 3 may become inaccurate enough that the robot 2may collide with the wafer support pins 4 of the spin chuck 3. As aresult, it may require a significant amount of time to attach the disk 8to the shaft 5 properly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the disadvantages of the aforementioned conventional assemblymethod, the invention provides an auxiliary tool that can readilyassemble a scrubber with ease and precision.

An aspect of the present invention is directed to an auxiliary tool forassembling a scrubber which includes a motor, a shaft rotatably coupledto and extending through the motor, a shaft pin detachably connected tothe shaft, and a disk coupled to the shaft and having a notch locatedrelative to the shaft pin at a predetermined angle with respect to alongitudinal axis of the shaft when properly assembled. The auxiliarytool comprises a tool body configured to at least partially receive themotor, the shaft pin, the disk, and the notch of the disk. The tool bodyincludes a first recess configured to at least partially receive theshaft pin and a protrusion configured to be at least partially receivedinto the notch of the disk. The first recess and the protrusion arearranged at the predetermined angle to position the notch of the diskand the shaft pin of the scrubber for proper assembly at thepredetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

In some embodiments, the tool body comprises a second recess configuredto partially receive the motor. The tool body comprises a third recessconfigured to partially receive a portion of the shaft disposed on aside of the motor opposite from the disk. The first recess may be formedinside the third recess. The tool body comprises a fourth recessconfigured to partially receive a portion of the shaft disposed on aside of the motor where the disk is disposed. The protrusion isconfigured to match a shape of the notch and abut the disk. The firstrecess is configured to partially receive the shaft pin.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an auxiliary toolfor assembling a scrubber which includes a motor, a shaft rotatablycoupled to and extending through the motor, a shaft pin detachablyconnected to the shaft, and a disk coupled to the shaft and having anotch located relative to the shaft pin at a predetermined angle withrespect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft when properly assembled. Theauxiliary tool comprises a tool body configured to partially receive thescrubber. The tool body includes a first recess configured to receivethe shaft pin. A protrusion is integrally formed on the tool body and isconfigured to match a shape of the notch and abut the disk. The firstrecess and the protrusion are arranged at the predetermined angle toposition the notch of the disk and the shaft pin of the scrubber forproper assembly at the predetermined angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the shaft.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method ofassembling a scrubber which includes a motor, a shaft rotatably coupledto and extending through the motor, a shaft pin detachably connected tothe shaft, and a disk coupled to the shaft and having a notch locatedrelative to the shaft pin at a predetermined angle with respect to alongitudinal axis of the shaft when properly assembled. The methodcomprises providing a tool body configured to partially receive thescrubber, wherein the tool body includes a first recess and aprotrusion. The tool body is placed adjacent the scrubber to at leastpartially receive the shaft pin into the first recess of the tool bodyand to at least partially insert the protrusion of the tool body intothe notch of the disk. The first recess and the protrusion are arrangedat the predetermined angle to position the notch of the disk and theshaft pin of the scrubber for proper assembly at the predetermined anglewith respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

In some embodiments, the tool body comprises a second recess, and thetool body is placed adjacent the scrubber to partially receive the motorinto the second recess of the tool body. The tool body comprises a thirdrecess, and the tool body is placed adjacent the scrubber to partiallyreceive into the third recess a portion of the shaft disposed on a sideof the motor opposite from the disk. The tool body comprises a fourthrecess, and the tool body is placed adjacent the scrubber to partiallyreceive into the fourth recess a portion of the shaft disposed on a sideof the motor where the disk is disposed. The protrusion of the tool bodyis configured to match a shape of the notch, and the tool body is placedadjacent the scrubber to abut the disk with the protrusion of the toolbody. The tool body is placed adjacent the scrubber to partially receivethe shaft pin into the first recess of the tool body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a schematic elevational view depicting part of a scrubber;

FIG. 1 b is a schematic perspective view depicting part of the scrubberof FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 a is a schematic view depicting a relationship between a disk anda sensor of surrounding equipment in the scrubber of FIG. 1 b;

FIG. 2 b is a top plan view depicting a spin chuck in the scrubber ofFIG. 1 b;

FIG. 3 a is a top plan view depicting an auxiliary tool of thisinvention;

FIG. 3 b is a front elevational view depicting the auxiliary tool forassembling a scrubber according to an embodiment of FIG. 3 a; and

FIG. 3 c is a side elevational view depicting the auxiliary tool of FIG.3 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 3 a, FIG. 3 b and FIG. 3 c, an auxiliary tool 20 ofthe present invention is used to assemble a scrubber such as that shownin FIG. 1 a, FIG. 1 b, FIG. 2 a and FIG. 2 b. The scrubber, as statedabove, is provided with a motor 7, a shaft 5, a shaft pin 6 and a disk8. The shaft 5 is disposed inside the motor 7 in a rotatable manner, andthe shaft pin 6 is detachably disposed at the shaft 5. The disk 8 isprovided with a notch 9. A predetermined angle is formed between theshaft pin 6 and the notch 9.

The auxiliary tool 20 comprises a tool body 21 and a protrusion 22. Theprotrusion 22 may be integrally formed with the tool body 21. The toolbody 21, receiving the scrubber as shown in FIG. 1 b, is provided with afirst recess 23, a second recess 24, a third recess 25 and a fourthrecess 26. The first recess 23 is used to receive, typically partially,the shaft pin 6. The second recess 24 is used to partially receive themotor 7. The third recess 25 and the fourth recess 26 are disposed onopposite sides of the motor 7 to partially receive the shaft 5.Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 a and FIG. 3 b, the first recess 23communicates with the third recess 25, and the longitudinal axis of thefirst recess 23 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the thirdrecess 25. The first recess 23 may be considered to be formed inside thethird recess 25.

The protrusion 22 is arranged on the tool body 21 in a manner that apredetermined angle is formed between the protrusion 22 and the firstrecess 23 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. It isnoted that the predetermined angle formed between the protrusion 22 andthe first recess 23 is the same with the predetermined angle formedbetween the notch 9 and the shaft pin 6. The shape of the protrusion 22corresponds to the shape of the notch 9, and is used to abut the disk 8.

According to the auxiliary tool of this invention, when the motor 7 mustbe replaced, the operator simply places the motor 7 partially inside theauxiliary tool 20. The shaft pin 6 is received into the first recess 23,and the protrusion 22 is received into the notch 9 and abuts the disk 8.After both the distance and the angle between the shaft pin 6 and thenotch 9 of the disk 8 are correct, the disk 8 can be fixed onto theshaft 5. Thus, replacement time is highly reduced, and efficiency isincreased.

The above-described arrangements of apparatus and methods are merelyillustrative of applications of the principles of this invention andmany other embodiments and modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Thescope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not withreference to the above description, but instead should be determinedwith reference to the appended claims along with their full scope ofequivalents.

1. A method of assembling a scrubber which includes a motor, a shaftrotatably coupled to and extending through the motor, a shaft pindetachably connected to the shaft, and a disk coupled to the shaft andhaving a notch located relative to the shaft pin at a predeterminedangle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft when properlyassembled, the method comprising: providing a tool body configured topartially receive the scrubber, the tool body including a first recessand a protrusion; placing the tool body adjacent the scrubber to atleast partially receive the shaft pin into the first recess of the toolbody and to at least partially insert the protrusion of the tool bodyinto the notch of the disk, the first recess and the protrusion beingarranged at the predetermined angle to position the notch of the diskand the shaft pin of the scrubber for proper assembly at thepredetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft,the first recess and the protrusion being fixed in position with respectto each other when placing the tool body adjacent the scrubber to atleast partially receive the shaft pin into the first recess of the toolbody and to at least partially insert the protrusion of the tool bodyinto the notch of the disk.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the toolbody comprises a second recess, and wherein the tool body is placedadjacent the scrubber to partially receive the motor into the secondrecess of the tool body.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool bodycomprises a third recess, and wherein the tool body is placed adjacentthe scrubber to partially receive into the third recess a portion of theshaft disposed on a side of the motor opposite from the disk.
 4. Themethod of claim 3 wherein the first recess is formed inside the thirdrecess.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool body comprises afourth recess, and wherein the tool body is placed adjacent the scrubberto partially receive into the fourth recess a portion of the shaftdisposed on a side of the motor where the disk is disposed.
 6. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the protrusion of the tool body is configuredto match a shape of the notch, and wherein the tool body is placedadjacent the scrubber to abut the disk with the protrusion of the toolbody.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool body is placed adjacentthe scrubber to partially receive the shaft pin into the first recess ofthe tool body.